A web feed is a data format used for providing users with frequently updated content (e.g., web content). Content distributors supply a web feed, allowing users to subscribe to it. Making a collection of web feeds accessible in one spot is known as aggregation, which is frequently performed by an Internet aggregator. A web feed may also be referred to as a news feed or syndicated feed.
With web feeds, a content provider typically publishes a feed link on their site to which end users can register (e.g., using a feed aggregator program, feed reader, news reader, etc., running on their own machines). The aggregator program is designed to ask the servers in its feed list if they have new content; if so, the aggregator either makes a note of the new content or downloads it. Aggregators can be scheduled to check for new content periodically.
Web-based aggregators are frequently maintained as bookmarks in a web browser. Selecting (e.g., by clicking) a web feed bookmark causes the web browser to access a feed page for the web feed (e.g., having a URL beginning with “feed://”) as opposed to a standard (or non-feed) web page (e.g., having a URL beginning with “http://”). Feed pages may display full content, but frequently display only a summary of the new content. Currently, users of web browsers have no way of identifying new content on a standard (or non-feed) web page without accessing and viewing the particular web page.